Welcome to JDM Week, Where I Drive Some of Japan’s Greatest and Weirdest Cars
Come face to face with some of the Japanese domestic market’s greatest (and not-so-greatest) with us this week.
When one of the country’s largest importers of Japanese domestic market (JDM) vehicles invites you to come drive a bunch of classic cars never sold here, what would you say? "Yes please," or "Hell yeah, brother?"
I don’t need to tell you what I said. This week, with the help of Duncan Imports in Christiansburg, Virginia, we’re bringing you a series of reviews of JDM classics. Some are performance legends, while others are the kind of car you’d never see in Initial D. I'll tell you not just what they’re like to drive, but why they exist, what their appeal is today, and how tricky it might be to keep them on the road.
As for what the subjects, I drank from every nozzle on the soda fountain. From homologation racer to humble kei truck, from hand-built rarity to spiced-up compact, there’ll be a reason for anyone who likes JDM cars to check out these stories.
Full disclosure: The cars we drove were officially part of Gary Duncan’s personal collection, and aren’t necessarily for sale right now. However, they are representative of other vehicles in stock, and may themselves come up for sale eventually.
We're kicking things off with a bang today with a review of the legendary 1996 Honda Integra Type R. Next up will be the adorable 1996 Dahaitsu Midget II, followed by the stately 1989 Nissan President, the truly weird 1996 Toyota Classic, and the finale with the fan favorite 1997 Mistubishi Pajero Evolution. Stick around; this is gonna be fun.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com
